1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flashlight, more particularly to a flashlight with a lamp base module mounted fixedly in a barrel thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a flashlight 1 according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,505 is shown to include a conductive barrel 11 which defines a battery receiving space therein, a head assembly 15 mounted on an upper end of the barrel 11, a lamp base module mounted in the barrel 11 proximate to the upper end thereof, and a tail assembly 14 mounted removably on a lower end of the barrel 11 and provided with a biasing spring 141 for biasing a battery unit 2 toward the lamp base module.
As illustrated, the lamp base module includes a first insulator base member 12 inserted into the barrel 11 from the lower end thereof, a second insulator base member 13 inserted into the barrel 11 from the upper end thereof, a first conductor 16, a second conductor 17, and a lamp 3. The first insulator base member 12 has top and bottom sides, and first and second conductor receiving holes which extend through the top and bottom sides. The first conductor 16 is mounted in the first conductor receiving hole in the first insulator base member 12, and has an end portion that extends radially and along the top side of the first insulator base member 12 for abutting electrically against an annular inward flange 110 of the barrel 11. The second conductor 17 is mounted in the second conductor receiving hole in the first insulator base member 12, and has an end portion that extends radially and along the bottom side of the first insulator base member 12 for abutting electrically against the battery unit 2 disposed in the barrel 11. The second insulator base member 13 includes an annular plate 130 which abuts against the flange 110 of the barrel 11 and which is formed with two terminal extension holes 131 respectively aligned with the conductor receiving holes in the first insulator base member 12. The second insulator base member 13 further has a pair of spaced apart retention claws 132 extending integrally from the plate 130 and through the flange 110 of the barrel 11 into two claw holes 121 in the first insulator base member 12. Two lamp terminals 31,32 of the lamp 3 extend through the terminal extension holes 131 in the second insulator base member 13 and the conductor receiving holes in the first insulator base member 12 to contact electrically the first and second conductors 16,17. Under such a condition, rotation of the head assembly 15 relative to the barrel 11 will result in contact or non-contact between the flange 110 of the barrel 11 and the first conductor 16, thereby controlling illumination or non-illumination of the lamp 3.
Some of the disadvantages of the aforesaid conventional flashlight are as follows:
(1) The first and second insulator base members 12,13 are separately inserted into the barrel 11 from the upper and lower ends thereof prior to mounting of the head and tail assemblies 15,14, thereby resulting in inconvenience during assembly of the lamp base module into the barrel 11.
(2) The production process of the conventional flashlight 1 is complicated, because an insulated coating on an inner wall surface of the barrel 11 must be manually etched in order to permit an end portion of the first conductor 16 to contact electrically the inward flange 110 of the barrel 11.
(3) The production cost is high, because a special mold is required for making the barrel 11 with the inward flange 110.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, another conventional flashlight 4 is shown to include a lamp base module 42 disposed in a conductive barrel 41 prior to the mounting of tail and head assemblies 44,43 on two opposite ends of the barrel 41.
As illustrated, the lamp base module 42 includes a first insulator base member 421 formed with two conductor receiving holes 4210 within which first and second conductors 4212,4213 are disposed. The first conductor 4212 has a bent portion in electrical contact with the barrel 41. A second insulator base member 422 has a pair of coupling arms 4222 which extend slidably through two coupling extension holes 4211 in the first insulator base member 421 to abut against a reflector 440 of the head assembly 44, and a base plate formed with a conductive seat 4221 that is in electrical contact with a battery unit 2 disposed in the barrel 41 and the second conductor 4213 in the first insulator base member 421. A lamp 45 is mounted on the top side of the first insulator base member 421, and has two terminals 451,452 extending into the conductor receiving holes 4210 in the first insulator base member 421 to connect electrically with the first and second conductors 4212,4213. Under such a condition, rotation of the head assembly 44 relative to the barrel 41 will result in movement of the second insulator base member 422 relative to the first insulator base member 421 to control contact or non-contact between the conductive seat 4221 of the second insulator base member 422 and the second conductor 4213.
Some drawbacks of the aforesaid conventional flashlight 4 are as follows:
(1) After the lamp base module 42 is disposed in the upper end of the barrel 41, the latter is punched inwardly and radially from an exterior thereof so as to form an inward flange that engages the first insulator base member 421, thereby preventing axial movement of the lamp base module 42 in the barrel 41. This somewhat inconveniences the production of the conventional flashlight 4. In addition, in case the strength of punching is excessively strong, the second insulator base member 422 might be hindered from moving relative to the first insulator base member 421. This can affect proper operation of the flashlight 4.
(2) An insulated coating on an inner wall surface of the barrel 41 must be manually etched in order to permit the bent portion of the first conductor 4212 to contact electrically the barrel 41. Such a process further increases the manufacturing cost of the conventional flashlight 4.
In order to eliminate the aforesaid drawbacks, another conventional flashlight has been proposed, as best shown in FIG. 5, which includes a lamp base module 9 mounted in a conductive barrel 90 proximate to an upper end thereof. The lamp base module 9 includes a first insulator base member 91 having first and second conductor receiving holes 910 within which first and second conductors 913,914 are disposed. A hollow conductive seat 93 is sleeved on the first insulator base member 91, and has an upright wall 931 in electrical contact with the barrel 90 and the first conductor 913. A second insulator base member 92 has two coupling arms 920 that extends through the conductive seat 93 and two coupling extension holes 911 in the first insulator base member 91. A lamp 94 is mounted on a top side of the first insulator base member 91, and has two lamp terminals 940 extending into the conductor receiving holes 910 to connect electrically with the first and second conductors 913,914. A battery unit disposed in the barrel 90 can connect electrically with the second conductor 914 via a conductive contact 921 on the second insulator base member 92.
The conductive seat 93 is provided with a pair of outwardly and radially extending claws 932 such that during insertion into the barrel 90, an insulated coating of the barrel 90 will be scratched off so as to establish electrical contact between the conductive seat 93 and the barrel 90. However, the following disadvantages are present in this conventional flashlight:
(1) The conductive seat 93 may disengage from the barrel 90 since there is no positioning device provided between the barrel 90 and the conductive seat 93.
(2) In case, the hollow conductive seat 93 is slightly oversized, and is forced into the barrel 90, this can result in an inward radial pressure on the first and second insulator base members 91, 92, thereby leading to unsteady movement of the second insulator base member 92 relative to the first insulator base member 91 and to improper operation of the flashlight.
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a flashlight with a lamp base module which is clear of the disadvantages mentioned beforehand.
Accordingly, the flashlight of the present invention includes a conductive barrel, a lamp, and a lamp base module. The barrel has top and bottom end portions and adapted for housing a battery unit therein. The lamp has a pair of lamp terminals. The lamp base module is mounted in the top end portion of the barrel, and includes first and second insulator base members, first and second conductors, and a hollow conductive seat. The first insulator base member has top and bottom sides, first and second terminal receiving holes that extend from the top side toward the bottom side, and a pair of base coupling holes that extend from the top side toward the bottom side. The first conductor is mounted in the first terminal receiving hole in the first insulator base member, and has an end portion that extends radially along the top side of the first insulator base member. The second conductor is mounted in the second terminal receiving hole, and has an end portion that extends radially along the bottom side of the first insulator base member and that is adapted to establish electrical contact with the battery unit housed in the barrel. The conductive seat is disposed above the first insulator base member, and has an upright wall portion that contacts fittingly and electrically the barrel, and a flange portion that extends radially and inwardly from a bottom end of the upright wall portion and that is disposed on top of the end portion of the first conductor so as to establish electrical contact therewith. The second insulator base member is disposed in the conductive seat, and has top and bottom sides, and first and second terminal extension holes that extend from the top side to the bottom side and that are aligned respectively with the first and second terminal receiving holes in the first insulator base member. The lamp terminals of the lamp extend respectively through the first and second terminal extension holes in the second insulator base member and into the first and second terminal receiving holes in the first insulator base member, and establish electrical connection with the first and second conductors, respectively. The second insulator base member further has a pair of coupling arms that extend into the base coupling holes in the first insulator base member for coupling together the first and second insulator base members.